A device to help people with disabilities using technology has been developed by L’Oreal and Liftware, the creator of the utensil to apply lipstick. The motorized device will assist individuals with limited hand and arm mobility in the application of lipstick as a stepping stone to other make-up items. There have been few items, if any adaptations developed for people with fine motor limitations and this device is the answer to help these individuals.
Ten years ago the cosmetic industry was beginning to develop cosmetics for individuals of color. Today, many people with special needs are left out of the loop when they search stores for make-up. There are few items, if any, for individuals with limited fine motor skills to use. Engineers, researchers and beauty experts at L’Oreal have been working together with people with disabilities to assist in the application of lipstick.
This month, L’Oreal unveiled a handheld, computerized, make-up applicator called Hapta at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Individuals with limited hand and arm mobility will find this item extremely helpful. They will have more independence while applying lipstick.
Hapta, taken from the word haptic, is a vibrating motor technology found in smartphones which has been adapted for devices for individuals with disabilities. According to Guive Balooch, L’Oreal’s global chief for technology and the division that developed Hapta, “this type of technology in the beauty industry was long overdue”. Over the past 3-5 years, miniaturization technology has been colliding with the needs of the special needs community. It has become a necessity to acknowledge these developments to advance make-up applications and make it easier for this population. For example, the development of Hapta will enable people with Cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s Disease, and stroke victims, more independence in applying their lipstick on their own.
The development of Hapta began about a year ago, when Balooch and Anupam Pathak, CEO of Liftware-a start-up that creates high-tech eating utensils for individuals with limited fine motor skills, met. The Hapta device may only be used with Lancôme lipsticks at the present time, but adaptations for other lipsticks are in the works.
For more information on this technology check out:
Enabling self-expression for beauty lovers with limited hand and arm mobility
